Line #34 Creator/ChristopherLloyd


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/christopher_lloyd.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''[[CatchPhrase GREAT SCOTT!]]'']]
3
4	->''"Every role I get is always a challenge. I can read a script and say, 'Oh, I can do that!' and then when I start working on it, I suddenly realize that I had no idea what I was getting into. Then I have to really work hard!"''
5
6	Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938 in Stamford, Connecticut) is an American character actor. From [[Series/{{Taxi}} Reverend Jim]] to a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' villain, there's really nothing outside of his range.
7
8	He's best-known for playing [[LargeHam zany]] characters or [[BunnyEarsLawyer eccentrics]] (to his [[TypeCasting chagrin]]), most notably the crackpot Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' franchise. Among his other theatrical roles are Uncle Fester in the the live-action ''[[Film/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family]]'' movies and the nefarious Judge Doom in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.
9
10	Most of Lloyd's recent roles have been guest appearances or supporting roles, most likely due to his age.
11
12	In sharp contrast to his on-screen characters, the real-life Lloyd is a laconic man who rarely gives interviews.
13
14	He is not to be confused with an Executive Producer on ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' and ''Series/ModernFamily'' with the same name, but the producer once expressed a desire to meet him to hand over misdirected fan mail.
15	----
16	!!Roles of Note
17	* Max Taber, one of the psychiatric patients in ''Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''. His first film role, appearing alongside Creator/JackNicholson and future ''Series/{{Taxi}}'' costar Creator/DannyDeVito.
18	* "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski in ''Series/{{Taxi}}''. Lloyd was hired for one scene in one episode, and his performance so impressed the producers that they [[AscendedExtra made him a regular]] for the rest of the series.
19	* Deputy Towfield in ''Goin' South'', where he teams up with Creator/JohnBelushi, Creator/EdBegleyJr., Creator/DannyDevito and Creator/JackNicholson.
20	* Arrogant InsufferableGenius artist Phillip Semenko in the second-season finale of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', "I'll Be Seeing You", [[Recap/CheersS2E21IllBeSeeingYouPart1 Part 1]] and [[Recap/CheersS2E22IllBeSeeingYouPart2 Part 2]].
21	* Dr. Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy.
22	** He reprised this role for [[Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide the 1991 ride]], [[WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture the 1991-1993 animated series]] (appearing during the live-action educational segments that bookend each episode; the animated portions had Creator/DanCastellaneta filling the role), and [[VideoGame/BackToTheFutureTheGame the 2010 video game]].
23	** In 2006, he reprised the role for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQwaq72tVyo a DirectTV commercial]], as part of a series of ads featuring characters from classic films.
24	** In 2011, he played the character once again for a series of TV commercials for, of all things, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iK83wP3HjE an electronics store in Argentina]], as well as a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51rjP1B_TxQ Nike commercial]].
25	** From 2012-2013, he voiced Doc in three ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketches.
26	** In 2014, he reprised the role once again in Creator/SethMacFarlane's ''Film/AMillionWaysToDieInTheWest'', hiding the [=DeLorean=] in a barn.
27	** He reprised the role yet again in the 2015 video game ''VideoGame/LegoDimensions''.
28	** He reprised his role (along with Creator/MichaelJFox as Marty) in a brief 30th anniversary sketch on ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive''.
29	** He was once again the Doc in the 30th anniversary Blu-ray exclusive short "Doc Brown Saves The World", explaining [[IWantMyJetpack why the real 2015 was drastically different from the 2015 of Back To The Future Part II]].
30	** When October 21, 2015 actually arrived, he reprised his role in a "special message" on [=YouTube=] to mark the occasion.
31	* Merlock in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp''.
32	* Professor Plum in the film adaptation of ''Film/{{Clue}}''.
33	* Uncle Fester in ''Film/TheAddamsFamily'' theatrical films.
34	* Judge Doom in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.
35	* [[MeaningfulName Drew Blanc]] blurred the lines between cartoon and reality in the video game ''VideoGame/{{Toonstruck}}''.
36	* Jimmy the GentlemanThief in ''Film/TwentyBucks''.
37	* [[LargeHam Commander Kruge]] in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''. (His premier theatrical role, a case of PlayingAgainstType going incredibly right.)
38	* Henry Sikorsky in ''Film/TheDreamTeam'', co-starring Creator/MichaelKeaton and Creator/PeterBoyle.
39	* Dennis Van Welker in ''Film/CampNowhere''.
40	* [[BigBad The Jackal]] in ''Series/DeadlyGames''.
41	* Sam Howard in a made-for TV adaptation of ''The Ransom of Red Chief'', co-starring Creator/MichaelJeter as Bill Driscoll.
42	* The White Knight in ''Film/{{Alice In Wonderland\|1999}}''
43	* Rasputin in the Creator/DonBluth animated film ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}''.
44	* The Hacker in ''WesternAnimation/{{Cyberchase}}'', a role spanning 130+ episodes over 20 years.
45	* Al the head angel in ''Film/AngelsInTheOutfield''.
46	* The eponymous Martian in the remake of ''Film/MyFavoriteMartian''
47	* Dr. Cletus Poffenberger, the creator of Mixmaster and something of a Doc Brown {{Expy}}, in ''Series/{{Tremors}}: The Series''
48	* As Charlie, is subject to Wrestling/HulkHogan's extraterrestrial antics in ''Film/SuburbanCommando''.
49	--> '''Charlie:''' '''[[MemeticMutation I WAS]] ''[[HarmlessFreezing FROZEN]]'' [[LargeHam TODAY!]]'''
50	* Uncle Fred in ''Film/WhenGoodGhoulsGoBad''
51	* Smitty, the retiring groundskeeper in the ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode "Care-Takin' Care of Business".
52	* The Woodsman in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall''
53	* The Old, narrator King Graham in ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''.[[labelnote:*]]Young Graham was played by Creator/JoshKeaton.[[/labelnote]]
54	* [[Characters/KingdomHeartsMasterXehanort Master Xehanort]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIIIReMind'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsMelodyOfMemory''[[labelnote:*]]replacing Creator/RutgerHauer (who died in July 2019), in turn replacing Creator/LeonardNimoy (who died in 2015)[[/labelnote]]
55	* Retired FBI agent David Mansell in ''Film/{{Nobody}}''.
56	* Train Conductor in ''Film/NextStopChristmas''.
57	* Alec Windsor in ''Creator/SpiritHalloween: The Movie''
58	* Falco in ''Camp Hideout''
59
60	!Minor parts
61	* The psychologist that leads Sarah to admit her love for Chuck in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''.
62	* The mortician in ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold [[WesternAnimation/HeyArnoldTheMovie The Movie]]''
63	* John Bigbooté in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension''.
64	* An uncredited Jesse James in the 1977 French western ''Another Man, Another Chance''.
65	* Legendary Comic artist Ross Moore in ''Series/Numb3rs'' episode "Graphic".
66	* Mr. Goodman, the marine biologist in ''Film/Piranha3D''
67	* The [[PlayingAgainstType gangster]] Pieces in ''Film/ThingsToDoInDenverWhenYoureDead''.
68	* [[SadistTeacher Professor B.O. Beanes]] in the ''Series/AmazingStories'' episode "Go to the Head of the Class."
69	* Portrays aged rock-legend and personal hero of [[MadScientist Walter]], Roscoe Joyce, of the semi-fictional band ''Violet Sedan Chair'' in an episode of ''Series/{{Fringe}}''.
70	* Lero Sombrero in ''Film/TheOogielovesInTheBigBalloonAdventure''.
71	* Grandpa Montgomery in ''Series/TheHauntingHour'' episode "Grampires".
72	* Walter, the titular character's paternal grandfather in ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''.
73	* The clumsy media arts teacher Mr. Chauncey in ''Film/BadGirlsFromValleyHigh''.
74	* Willie B in ''Film/{{Flakes}}''.
75	* A BackAlleyDoctor visited by Johnny in ''ComicBook/SinCity: A Dame to Kill For''.
76	* Milton in ''{{Film/Going in Style\|2017}}''
77	* Horus in ''Film/DeadBeforeDawn''.
78	* Constitutional scholar [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig Lawrence Lessig]] in ''Series/TheWestWing''.
79	* A Psychopathic [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory Willy Wonka]], of all things, in the "Creator/FunnyOrDie" short, "Gobstopper"; a horror parody of the cult-classic Creator/GeneWilder film.
80	* A young, pre-stardom Lloyd guest-starred on two different episodes of ''Series/BarneyMiller'', "[[Recap/BarneyMillerS5E09 The Harris Incident]]" and "Open House".
81	* He played a live action version of Rick (Rick C-1.21) from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' for an Adult Swim trailer.
82	* Commissioner Helgait, the [[spoiler:traitorous former Separatist]] security chief of Plazir 15 in ''Series/TheMandalorian: [[Recap/TheMandalorianS3E6Chapter22 Chapter 22]]''.
83	* Played Buford in ''Film/{{Tankhouse}}''.
84	* Voiced Pachacamac in ''Series/{{Knuckles}}''.
85
86	!Tropes related to his roles
87	%%* CoolOldGuy: Several of his more recent roles qualify.
88	* FunnyCharacterBoringActor: His characters tend to be larger than life. Anyone who's worked with him comes away saying that he's a pretty quiet, shy, unassuming man.
89	-->'''Creator/ThomasFWilson:''' ''"What's Christopher Lloyd like?" Kinda quiet.''
90	* LargeHam: And ''how''! Doc Brown is probably the best example of how emotional and rapid-fire he can get with delivering dialogue and even just moving around the scene.
91	* MoneyDearBoy: Got a lot less selective in picking roles after a fire destroyed his home in 2008.
92	* MrExposition: One of his greatest talents as an actor is his ability to go into long tangents of pure exposition without the audience losing interest.
93	* PlayingAgainstType:
94	** As Judge Doom in particular. ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' remains one of the few movies where he plays a truly evil and ruthless villain, although this was made around the same time as most of those other films.
95	** Master Xehanort in ''Kingdom Hearts'' counts too, as he's an anti-villain who uses people for his own means and stops at nothing to try to meet his goal of controlling the Darkness.
96	** Commander Kruge is also quite as far removed from Doc Brown as you can get.
97	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
98	** He was the first choice for the role of the [[Characters/DoctorWhoMasters Master]] in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie Doctor Who: The Movie]]'' before Creator/EricRoberts was cast. However, he was turned down due to the fact that he was considered "too expensive". Ironically, Roberts turned out to be ''even more expensive'' to hire than him.
99	** He was the runner-up for the part of [[Characters/MarvelComicsJJonahJameson J. Jonah Jameson]] in [[Creator/SamRaimi Sam Raimi's]] ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' before the casting of [[Creator/JKSimmons J.K. Simmons]].
100	** He had discussions for the role of Hannibal Lecter in ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' before Creator/AnthonyHopkins was cast.
101	* YoungerThanTheyLook: It wasn't until he started getting into his 70s that he actually looked his age, always seeming to be 10-20 years older. The 1985 Doc Brown originally had extensive old age make-up that was frankly barely noticeable.

Context Creator / ChristopherLloyd